1st Edition
The Franco-Prussian War Turning-Points in European Experiences and Perceptions of Military Conflict
The Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71 has traditionally been seen as a limited conflict between French and German forces. This edited volume challenges this view and shows that it was a war of ideas, values, and perceptions, which transformed the political, diplomatic, and military culture across Europe.
Based on interdisciplinary research, the book suggests that the war raised new questions about power, the nation, violence, and notions of civilization, which brought about a decisive shift in how warfare was experienced and perceived. While the Franco-Prussian War may have begun as a traditional dynastic struggle, it became a modern war and an important precursor to the First World War in its use of new weaponry and industrialized warfare. At the same time, the development of humanitarian movements and international law on the conduct of war meant that the fighting was subjected to unprecedented scrutiny, while new technologies accelerated the pace at which narratives about the war were constructed and consumed.
This volume will appeal to scholars in the fields of war studies, international relations and diplomacy, and intellectual and cultural history. It will also be a useful addition to undergraduate and postgraduate courses on nineteenth-century European history and cultural studies.
Introduction
Karine Varley
Part 1: Military and Diplomatic Repercussions
1. Tactics, Learning and the Civil-Military Interface in Europe, 1870–1875
Mark Bennett
2. The Legacy of the Franco-Prussian War on Belgian Neutrality
Mario Draper
3. The Franco-Prussian War and the Ottoman Adoption of Realpolitik
Giorgio Ennas
4. Political Discourses Between Militarism and Pacifism in the Ottoman Empire
Uygar Aydemir
Part 2: Nationalism and Race
5. : The Impact of the War on Definitions of the Nation in France and Germany
Corentin Marion
6. Historiographical Nationalism as a Legacy of the Franco-Prussian War
Guillaume Lancereau
7. Racist Responses to the National Calamity
Maciej Górny
Part 3: Perceptions and Memories
8. Uninvolved and Fascinated Battlefield Tourists in the Franco-Prussian War
Nina Kreibig
9. Journalists, Artists and Writers as ‘Schlachtenbummler’ on the Battlefields of 1870-71
Tobias Arand
10. Map Representations of the War of 1870-71 in German School Textbooks
Carolin Hestler
Part 4: Cultural Representations
11. Losing the War and Losing Heart in the Fiction of the Defeat
Marion Glaumaud-Carbonnier
12. The Reception of French 1870-71 War Literature in Britain
Kate Ashley
13. The War of 1870–71 as a Digital Event on Twitter and YouTube
Biography
Karine Varley is Lecturer in French and History at the University of Strathclyde, UK.